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Monday, August 15, 2016

the official release date for our women's autumn/winter issue is tomorrow and now it is available in shops, bookshops and sewing supplies stores round the world. If you can't find it, remember that all back issues as well the latest ones are available in our own single issue shop.Many of you who are subscribing, have already got the magazine. Maybe you also have peeked the tiny video presentation we made you in Youtube.

With a cooler period of the year drawing closer, people return to their daily routines and indoor pastimes. I hope that each of us has been able to take a vacation, enjoy the great outdoors and stock up with summer energy in order to manage through the long autumn and winter. In the face of the unforeseeable outcomes of developments that are currently taking place in the world around us, we need to seek balance and well-being within ourselves. While such introspection requires time, sensitivity and absorption, it will give more meaning to our everyday life than shopping or surfing the Net.

My life has always revolved around being active one way or the other, and that’s why it’s difficult for me to draw a line between work and leisure. I spend almost all of my awake time sketching, reading, sewing, knitting, crocheting, baking and cooking. I could also add observation, meditation, problem solving and philosophizing to my list of activities. All of those I can do while lying down or driving a car. I lead a full life even though most of the time the only trips I take are from home to work and back. Occasional detours to the market, grocery store or cultural events spice up my daily life. Close is good.

My simple way of life largely determines my designing philosophy. I want to design straightforward, natural and timeless clothes for our magazine. They are representative of the Scandinavian lifestyle that appreciates the gentle beauty and small moments of everyday life. The materials we use are genuine and uncomplicated. Practicality breeds beauty when the basic elements click into place. Awareness of the environment and the life cycle of clothes is an essential part of our daily work.

We also have a passion for all handicraft skills, and through our sewing instructions we try to convey some of the bliss of refining the small details. The wonderful durable materials deserve to be treated with love and attention. Consequently, a self-made garment will bring long-lasting joy. The great satisfaction that our work gives us can be encapsulated in just a few words: I made it and I succeeded!

How to make a cute applique on a beanie from OTTOBRE design 4/2015

You need:- grey or other solid color cotton jersey (95%cotton 5% elastane), stretch/recovery 30%- tiny jersey scraps in seven colours for tree and leaves- piece of Vlieseline® Stickvlies (Stickvlies is also known as "stitch-n-tear" and it is used as backing for embroideries and appliqués. By Stickvlies you can sew embroidery and appliques without stretching the fabric.

- Vlieseline® Vliesofix (Vliesofix is a non-woven fabric with the feature that both sides can be ironed onto a material.)

Hiwe have been quiet quite a while. We are so sorry... Just too much to do and too little time.As you all might remember, we are not a huge publishing house, but just a tiny family company with a handful of hard working women. We are all mothers, grand mothers or sisters, daughters, wifes and girl friends. No matter how much we love our job, we really can't spend all our time here in office.... even we'd like to :) If someone passes our studio late at night, she or he might see lights in here, though. So do not be angry, we promise to do our best updating our blog now on.

Who could imagine this summer went so fast. We can already see "something yellow" in trees behind our office windows! Our melancholic, but beautiful autumn issue 4/2016 for kids was published few weeks ago. Did you already find the video we made for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI98eMlikVgWith this issue we wanted to encourage you to find your paintbrushes and do something really nice with them...

Hedgehog

The body of the hedgehog is applied to the front panel as a print, and the details are appliquéd after the fabric paint has dried. Hand-baste the outline of the hedgehog motif on the rectangular piece of jersey cut for the front panel. Protect the surface of the ironing board with a sheet of plastic and lay a piece of soft, smooth fabric over the plastic. Lay the rectangular piece of jersey on the ironing board, pull it taut and pin it to the board. Pour white fabric paint in the middle of the disposable plate, dip the sponge dauber into the paint and dab the dauber against the brim of the plate to distribute the paint evenly on the dauber. (Experiment applying paint on a scrap of fabric first!) Dab the belly of the hedgehog with white paint all over, applying a small amount of paint at a time on the fabric and taking care not to make the layer of paint too thick. Allow the paint to dry for a short while.

Mix brown and white fabric paint together in different proportions to obtain two paler shades of brown. Dip the tip of the brush into the paint and paint spikes on the hedgehog, using the darker shade of brown for the outermost spikes and the paler shade for the inner spikes. Remove the printed piece of jersey from the ironing board and allow the paint to dry properly. Fix the color to the fabric following the manufacturer’s directions.

Trace hedgehog’s nose, eyes, ears and paws on paper backing of double-sided fusible web. Iron the various pieces of fusible web onto wrong side of pieces of single jersey as follows: nose on pink, eyes and ears on brown, and paws on grey single jersey. Cut appliqué shapes out along their outlines. Remove paper backing from fusible web and iron shapes in place on the body of the hedgehog. Pin piece of tear-away backing to wrong side of rectangular piece of jersey, under appliqué shapes. Stitch shapes in place with straight stitch or narrow, short zigzag stitch, using matching sewing thread for each shape. Stitch hedgehog’s mouth with straight stitch using brown thread. Remove tear-away backing from wrong side.

Teddy-bear

Trace the pattern for the teddy-bear motif from the pattern sheet. Hand-baste the outline of the teddy-bear motif, as well as the outlines of the areas to be left white on the ears and around the eyes and muzzle, on the rectangular piece of jersey cut for the front panel. Pour fabric paint on a disposable plate, dip the tip of the brush into it and paint the teddy-bear’s coat. Start painting at the outlines of the muzzle, eyes and ears and proceed in a radial pattern toward the outline of the teddy-bear motif. Allow the paint to dry and fix it to the fabric following the manufacturer’s directions.

Trace teddy-bear’s nose, mouth and eyes on paper backing of double-sided fusible web. Iron fusible web onto wrong side of brown single jersey and cut appliqué shapes out along their outlines. Remove paper backing of fusible web from shapes and fuse shapes to front panel by ironing. Pin piece of tear-away backing to wrong side of front panel under appliqué shapes. Stitch shapes in place close to edge with straight stitch. Remove tear-away backing gently from wrong side.

We also found some old clothes (grandpa's fishing shirt, heavy cotton plaid) and wanted to recycle it to a boys shirt.

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About Us

This is the official blog of the OTTOBRE design® editorial office.

OTTOBRE design® is a fashion and pattern magazine produced in Finland. Seven issues per year, including four issues of OTTOBRE design® kids fashion magazine, two issues of OTTOBRE design® woman magazine and one lovely OTTOBRE design® family issue featuring also men's patterns.

Copyright

Do not use images or content you find here without asking for permission. The designs and patterns featured here are protected under the Copyright Act. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole. All commercial and industrial use of material is strictly prohibited.